Chelsea vs Manchester City: Five players to watch out for

Chelsea host Manchester City in a crunch Premier League clash on Sunday evening. Even though these are the early days of the season, the tie, in itself, can have a major say in the destination of the Premier League crown come May 2014.

Chelsea have finally started adapting to the methods of the Portuguese tactician Jose Mourinho and the results have also started coming along. Meanwhile, Manchester City are still an unknown quantity under Manuel Pellegrini, as their performances have varied from abysmal to superb on varied days.

If City are to stage an upset at Stamford Bridge, they will need to perform at the level that they did against cross-town rivals Manchester United. On the other hand, Chelsea have to put every foot right in order to get the desired result when the Citizens from Manchester come calling.

However, if both teams are to perform at top level, they need the following players to bring their A-game to the match.

Alvaro Negredo

Alvaro Negredo is on a hot streak

The 28-year-old Spanish striker has been in top form since his move from Sevilla. Alvaro Negredo has been the only saving grace for Manchester City’s star-studded yet inconsistent attacking department.

Negredo has scored four goals and almost guarantees an impact when he is introduced in a match. Manchester City will need him to fire if they want City’s attack to gel well. His ability to play long balls and find his teammates has been a major reason behind most of City’s goals this season.

He also lays-off plenty of balls for his fellow strikers to feed upon, and his strong finishing and heading only add to the already impressive list of attributes.

However, vying with John Terry is a different ball game altogether. Negredo’s resolve will be tested to the limit when he comes up against the mean Chelsea defence.

Willian

Willian will be the one to look out for

The £32 million Brazillian, who was signed from under the nose of Tottenham Hotspurs, has made an instant impact at Stamford Bridge. His Premier League debut was delayed due to his lack of match fitness but when he eventually did make his debut, he set the stage on fire.

A stunning goal in his first Premier League game against Norwich, followed by a tireless 90 minutes against Cardiff has made Willian the one to keep an eye out for.

The Brazillian has blistering pace and can beat his opponents almost at will. He also possesses tremendous ball control which is necessary if one wishes to succeed in the top flight of England.

Add to that his set piece taking prowess and you have one handy, quick and skilled attacker at your peril. The fact that he has not been over-exposed, if exposed at all, to the Premier League gives Chelsea an edge as City will not know what to expect from the Brazilian.

Joe Hart

Joe Hart will need to step up

Much has been said about Joe Hart’s poor performances in between the sticks over the past few months. However, one should not forget that he has been the best goalkeeper in the league for the past three seasons, winning back-to-back-to-back Golden Glove awards.

Also, since his horror show at the Etihad against Bayern Munich, City have not conceded more than one goal in a match and are on a three match winning streak. Joe Hart will have to be at his attentive best if he wants to successfully deal with Chelsea’s quick and mobile attacking force.

His reservations in dealing with a long range effort will be tested time and again in Sunday’s crunch tie. Chelsea, for a mobile team, provide sufficient threat in the air and Hart will have ample of crucial decisions to make.

City’s new-found higher back line also means that Hart might need to come out of the box to clear a ball or two. He surely has the ability, but will he be able to perform when the moment calls?

Samuel Eto’o

Samuel Eto’o can win it for Chelsea

Since Fernando Torres is suspended for the match against Manchester City, Samuel Eto’o is the obvious choice to start up front for Chelsea.

Since his move from Anzhi, Eto’o has had a couple of half decent performances in the Blue shirt. He has been instrumental in linking Chelsea’s attacking plays and last week, was able to score his solitary goal.

Chelsea fans will be hoping that he could pick up from there and go on a scoring spree. He is a pacey customer and will give Nastasic a lot to think about. In fact, Fernandinho will have to track back more than often in order to neutralize the threat.

Eto’o is strong on the ball and likes shooting from a range. All of this could be beneficial for Chelsea. Manchester City, on the other hand, are sure to get a headache once they are done with him.

Fernandinho

Fernandinho will hope to control the midfield

Manchester City’s blockbuster summer signing has been quiet to a normal eye, but has created a massive impact on the team in terms of tactics.

He has saved Pellegrini some worries by being able to contain the play at the back on his own, while Yaya Toure assists with the attack. He sits in front of the back four throughout the match and helps dealing with counter attacking threats. This ability of his will be tested to the limit against Chelsea, as they have pacey and skilful wingers in the form of Eden Hazard, Willian and Andre Schurrle.

He can also play the odd through ball, which might be able to provide the element of surprise. Aerial duals are also one of his specialities and will come in handy against Frank Lampard and Ramires, both of which are not sound in the air.

Fernandinho holds the key for Manchester City in the midfield and if he is able to do his job correctly, the Citizens might just have a chance to upset Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.